War of the Heart
by Lyssa117
Summary: This is the story of Scabior, the Snatcher. He has a dark past and an even darker secret that haunts him. What happens when he kidnaps Hermione from the Ministry of Magic? Will she heal his dark heart?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did I would be incredibly rich right now.

This is my first fanfic, please review! This will be a Hermione/Scabior pairing.

Prologue

He stood in the cold forest, shivering slightly as the icy wind tore through the trees toward him. He could smell the frozen ground, hear the bare branches scraping against each other.

It reminded him of being in prison, hours of pointlessly scraping at the bars, howling in despair. He shook himself mentally. _ No,_ he thought. _Do not go back there. _

With great effort, the Snatcher who called himself Scabior pulled his thoughts from those dark memories and back to his present surroundings in the forest. At that same moment, a different scent came to him, slowly, almost lazily, and he wildly was reminded of a warm summer day. He concentrated on that scent, and tried to follow it. Wanted to touch it, move closer to it. But there was nothing but the forest.

He reached out slowly, as if afraid that the scent would disappear if he disturbed the air too much. He thought he felt a ripple, the air felt heavier for a split second, and then it was gone. But it was enough. Scabior had been well trained, and he recognized the presence of a magical ward. _Who_. He wondered incredulously. _Who would cast such a ward, out here in this desolate forest? _Almost of its own accord, his hand gripped his wand. It was a complicated bit of magic, but he know how to disable the wards and see who, or what, was hidden behind them. As soon as he acknowledged that it was in fact a magical ward, he knew the scent to be perfume. _A woman?_ He thought in fascination. _What in the name of Merlin is a woman who would wear perfume doing out here? _

"Scabior! Are you coming or what? What are you doing over there?" The raspy voice of Greyback cut through the woods and brought Scabior back to his senses. He rapidly assessed the situation. If there was a woman, (an extremely talented witch rather), hiding behind the ward, he did not want Greyback around. He had seen enough of what Greyback could do and he knew how easily the werewolf lost control. He inhaled deeply, determined to imprint the scent in his mind so he could find her later. And find her he would. He had not been this intrigued by anything, by anyone, for years. And so quickly! He had to find out more, as if the scent and the mysterious witch behind it were pulling him in, assaulting his senses and removing his control.

"Soon." he whispered to the quiet, cold woods before him. As he turned to go, he thought he heard a sharp intake of breath, but it might have just been the wind.

OooOooO

_Chapter 1: After the Second Wizard War_

Scabior ran, clutching his wand tightly. It was all he had left. He disappeared into the forest, and as soon as he was out of sight of his pursuers he cast a rapid Disillusionment charm. He did not have time to make sure that he had cast his charm strong enough before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that his arms and legs were bound. He instictively struggled, trying to reach his wand before he heard a sharp laugh.

"Looking for this, scum?" He raised his eyes to the laughing form above him. An Auror stood triumphantly over him, moving Scabior's wand rapidly between his hands. "You won't be needing it where you're going. We've been looking for you for a long time now."

"No! Wait..." Scabior protested weakly, hating himself even in his helpless state for the pleading in his voice. The Auror smiled down at him, and then waved his own wand. Scabior felt his voice leave him as the Silencing charm settled upon him.

"Save it." The Auror spoke harshly, all taunting gone. He clutched Scabior's arm tightly, and they both Disapparated.

When Scabior saw where they had arrived, he felt his panic mounting. He had known that they would arrive at the Ministry from the moment he saw the Auror, but to be here, in this place, was a nightmare for him. The Auror must have alerted his co workers en route, for they were immediately surrounded.

"Well done Weasley!" Another Auror clapped Scabior's captor on the shoulder. "How did you apprehend him?"

"He ran into the forest," Weasley explained. "And when I followed him, he attacked me. I managed to subdue him with a few well placed curses, and brought him in." Scabior shivered in anger at the lie. Of course the Auror would want his companions to think that the capture had been more notable than it really was...all the Auror had actually had to do was stumble over Scabior's unconscious body.

"I daresay the Dementors will have a little kiss for him." jeered another Auror. Scabior swallowed, his fear almost unbearable. He had to get out of this situation somehow, but he could see no options at all.

"Come along now Weasley, bring him down to the court rooms." The first Auror commanded. He looked Scabior over, snorted, and flicked his wand. Scabior felt the ropes that bound him fall away. "He isn't in any condition to run away."

"I almost wish he would try." Weasley snarled, poking Scabior hard in the back with his wand. Scabior concentrated on making himself look weak and unthreatening, which, given his present state, was not too far from the truth anyhow. Without a further word, the Aurors prodded him into the elevator and they moved downward, toward the courtroom that would decide his fate.

_Chapter 2: Taken _

The "trial" lasted about five minutes. The Auror Weasley pulled Scabior into a standing position to face the head of the Wizarding law community.

"Colin Darkhold Scabior, this court finds you guilty for your role in assisting the late Fenrir Greyback in the capture of fellow wizards. You are hereby sentenced to spend the next 50 years of your life in Azkaban prison. At the conclusion of 50 years, you will be released back into Wizarding Society under strict supervision. That is all."

"If you even last the 50 years." Weasley whispered gleefully. "Let's go." He pulled Scabior out of the courtroom and into the hall. "Prepare for a one way trip to Azkaban. The dementors are eagerly awaiting your arrival and will do everything to make your stay most memorable." Scabior closed his eyes briefly. Weasley was about to Apparate them both to the dreaded prison, and there was nothing he could do.

At that moment, there was a sound on the stone stairs before them. Scabior inhaled the scent before he saw her—the summer from that winter day so long ago in those woods.

"Ron, I've been looking for you...oh." The witch stopped short when she saw that Weasley was with a prisoner.

"Hermione, what are you doing down here?" Ron Weasley asked, irritated. "It will have to wait. I'm escorting this...prisoner...to Azkaban where he belongs." Scabior couldn't help but notice that Weasley was distracted by the arrival of the witch, and he knew that he had only seconds, moments to act.

Scabior pulled his arm out of Ron's grip in one fluid movement. With the next, he dived across the floor and grabbed hold of the witch named Hermione, wrestling her wand from her hand. He swiftly pulled Hermione against him with one arm and pointed her own wand at her throat.

"Stay back!" He yelled to Weasley, whose once jeering face was now white with fear. "Drop your wand or she's dead!" He jabbed the wand into Hermione's neck to make his point, and felt a stab of regret as she whimpered in terror.

"Okay...calm down." Ron placed his wand on the floor slowly, as did the the other Aurors who had been exiting the court room behind them. "You have the wand, just let her go and leave. No one will stop you."

"I don't think so." Scabior growled. "I'll be needing some...insurance...that you won't be following me." He inhaled Hermione's summer scent quickly, raised her wand, and Disapparated them both.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did I would be incredibly rich right now.

This is my first fanfic, please review! This will be a Hermione/Scabior pairing.

Prologue

He stood in the cold forest, shivering slightly as the icy wind tore through the trees toward him. He could smell the frozen ground, hear the bare branches scraping against each other.

It reminded him of being in prison, hours of pointlessly scraping at the bars, howling in despair. He shook himself mentally. _ No,_ he thought. _Do not go back there. _

With great effort, the Snatcher who called himself Scabior pulled his thoughts from those dark memories and back to his present surroundings in the forest. At that same moment, a different scent came to him, slowly, almost lazily, and he wildly was reminded of a warm summer day. He concentrated on that scent, and tried to follow it. Wanted to touch it, move closer to it. But there was nothing but the forest.

He reached out slowly, as if afraid that the scent would disappear if he disturbed the air too much. He thought he felt a ripple, the air felt heavier for a split second, and then it was gone. But it was enough. Scabior had been well trained, and he recognized the presence of a magical ward. _Who_. He wondered incredulously. _Who would cast such a ward, out here in this desolate forest? _Almost of its own accord, his hand gripped his wand. It was a complicated bit of magic, but he know how to disable the wards and see who, or what, was hidden behind them. As soon as he acknowledged that it was in fact a magical ward, he knew the scent to be perfume. _A woman?_ He thought in fascination. _What in the name of Merlin is a woman who would wear perfume doing out here? _

"Scabior! Are you coming or what? What are you doing over there?" The raspy voice of Greyback cut through the woods and brought Scabior back to his senses. He rapidly assessed the situation. If there was a woman, (an extremely talented witch rather), hiding behind the ward, he did not want Greyback around. He had seen enough of what Greyback could do and he knew how easily the werewolf lost control. He inhaled deeply, determined to imprint the scent in his mind so he could find her later. And find her he would. He had not been this intrigued by anything, by anyone, for years. And so quickly! He had to find out more, as if the scent and the mysterious witch behind it were pulling him in, assaulting his senses and removing his control.

"Soon." he whispered to the quiet, cold woods before him. As he turned to go, he thought he heard a sharp intake of breath, but it might have just been the wind.

OooOooO

_Chapter 1: After the Second Wizard War_

Scabior ran, clutching his wand tightly. It was all he had left. He disappeared into the forest, and as soon as he was out of sight of his pursuers he cast a rapid Disillusionment charm. He did not have time to make sure that he had cast his charm strong enough before he fell to the ground, unconscious.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that his arms and legs were bound. He instictively struggled, trying to reach his wand before he heard a sharp laugh.

"Looking for this, scum?" He raised his eyes to the laughing form above him. An Auror stood triumphantly over him, moving Scabior's wand rapidly between his hands. "You won't be needing it where you're going. We've been looking for you for a long time now."

"No! Wait..." Scabior protested weakly, hating himself even in his helpless state for the pleading in his voice. The Auror smiled down at him, and then waved his own wand. Scabior felt his voice leave him as the Silencing charm settled upon him.

"Save it." The Auror spoke harshly, all taunting gone. He clutched Scabior's arm tightly, and they both Disapparated.

When Scabior saw where they had arrived, he felt his panic mounting. He had known that they would arrive at the Ministry from the moment he saw the Auror, but to be here, in this place, was a nightmare for him. The Auror must have alerted his co workers en route, for they were immediately surrounded.

"Well done Weasley!" Another Auror clapped Scabior's captor on the shoulder. "How did you apprehend him?"

"He ran into the forest," Weasley explained. "And when I followed him, he attacked me. I managed to subdue him with a few well placed curses, and brought him in." Scabior shivered in anger at the lie. Of course the Auror would want his companions to think that the capture had been more notable than it really was...all the Auror had actually had to do was stumble over Scabior's unconscious body.

"I daresay the Dementors will have a little kiss for him." jeered another Auror. Scabior swallowed, his fear almost unbearable. He had to get out of this situation somehow, but he could see no options at all.

"Come along now Weasley, bring him down to the court rooms." The first Auror commanded. He looked Scabior over, snorted, and flicked his wand. Scabior felt the ropes that bound him fall away. "He isn't in any condition to run away."

"I almost wish he would try." Weasley snarled, poking Scabior hard in the back with his wand. Scabior concentrated on making himself look weak and unthreatening, which, given his present state, was not too far from the truth anyhow. Without a further word, the Aurors prodded him into the elevator and they moved downward, toward the courtroom that would decide his fate.

_Chapter 2: Taken _

The "trial" lasted about five minutes. The Auror Weasley pulled Scabior into a standing position to face the head of the Wizarding law community.

"Colin Darkhold Scabior, this court finds you guilty for your role in assisting the late Fenrir Greyback in the capture of fellow wizards. You are hereby sentenced to spend the next 50 years of your life in Azkaban prison. At the conclusion of 50 years, you will be released back into Wizarding Society under strict supervision. That is all."

"If you even last the 50 years." Weasley whispered gleefully. "Let's go." He pulled Scabior out of the courtroom and into the hall. "Prepare for a one way trip to Azkaban. The dementors are eagerly awaiting your arrival and will do everything to make your stay most memorable." Scabior closed his eyes briefly. Weasley was about to Apparate them both to the dreaded prison, and there was nothing he could do.

At that moment, there was a sound on the stone stairs before them. Scabior inhaled the scent before he saw her—the summer from that winter day so long ago in those woods.

"Ron, I've been looking for you...oh." The witch stopped short when she saw that Weasley was with a prisoner.

"Hermione, what are you doing down here?" Ron Weasley asked, irritated. "It will have to wait. I'm escorting this...prisoner...to Azkaban where he belongs." Scabior couldn't help but notice that Weasley was distracted by the arrival of the witch, and he knew that he had only seconds, moments to act.

Scabior pulled his arm out of Ron's grip in one fluid movement. With the next, he dived across the floor and grabbed hold of the witch named Hermione, wrestling her wand from her hand. He swiftly pulled Hermione against him with one arm and pointed her own wand at her throat.

"Stay back!" He yelled to Weasley, whose once jeering face was now white with fear. "Drop your wand or she's dead!" He jabbed the wand into Hermione's neck to make his point, and felt a stab of regret as she whimpered in terror.

"Okay...calm down." Ron placed his wand on the floor slowly, as did the the other Aurors who had been exiting the court room behind them. "You have the wand, just let her go and leave. No one will stop you."

"I don't think so." Scabior growled. "I'll be needing some...insurance...that you won't be following me." He inhaled Hermione's summer scent quickly, raised her wand, and Disapparated them both.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews today! I am so glad that you are enjoying this story, I am having a great time writing it! :)

I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters*

_Chapter 3: Captive_

Hermione's head was spinning. She could not yet grasp what had happened or why. One minute she was coming down the stairs to give Ron a message, and the next moment she had left the Ministry against her will with a madman who now had her wand. She found herself on the dusty floor of what appeared to be an abandoned cabin, and quickly she moved against the far wall, away from her captor. She watched, her eyes wide with fear, as the man with the dark hair moved about the cabin quickly, using her wand to cast spells on the door, windows, and ceiling. Hermione knew that they were protective enchantments, as she had used many of these herself during the war when she, Harry, and Ron were hiding out. As if reading her thoughts, the man spoke to her.

"I've made this place Unplottable and all entrances are sealed. So don't waste your time trying to escape, love. We're going to be roommates for a little while." Hermione gulped, and tried to call on her Gryffindor courage.

"You've made your escape and you have my wand. You don't need me here. Please send me back, I won't tell anyone where you are, I don't even have any idea where we are anyway." She knew she was babbling, and forced her breathing to slow. The man shook his head and laughed without any humor in his voice.

"No can do, love. I saw the way your boyfriend was looking at me back there. He won't stop until he finds me, and I'm never going back to that place. You're my security right now."

"He's not my boyfriend." Hermione muttered, but the man wasn't paying attention. She thought about Ron and their short lived relationship following the war. Their arguments back and forth had been mildly amusing while they were friends, but she had quickly found that they were an obstacle to a healthy relationship. Ron had a competitive, jealous nature and Hermione had discovered that it was slowly getting worse. The last straw had been when her friend Viktor had sent her an owl and Ron went ballistic. He had given Hermione an ultimatum-send Viktor a Howler instructing him never to write again or they were through. Hermione had taken that opportunity to gently explain to Ron that maybe they were better off as friends, and had ended things while there was still something of a friendship to be salvaged. As expected, Ron had not taken that very well and still tended to be sulky and cranky when she was around.

Hermione watched with growing dread as the man finished setting up the protective wards around the cabin. She tried to shrink into the wall and not think about what would happen when he finally turned his full attention to her. While she was confident that Ron, along with Harry, would do everything in their power to find her, she had to accept the fact that for the moment, she was completely on her own.

OoooOO

Scabior completed the final enchantment and lowered the girl's wand. He had been surprised to discover how well the wand worked for him. It was almost as if he had his own wand back. He looked at her, huddled against the cabin wall watching him with scared eyes. He felt slightly ashamed, but he knew that he had done the only thing he could do at the time. He felt a wave of dizziness mixed with exhaustion wash over him, and he knew that he had to rest. There would be time later to deal with the situation at hand. He sauntered toward Hermione.

"Well love, I need to get some sleep. You're certainly welcome to join me, seeing how there's only one bed." He raised an eyebrow suggestively at her, enjoying the look of anger and defiance that came over her beautiful face.

"You could just use the Geminio charm to make me a bed out here." she said with contempt in her voice. Scabior was momentarily stunned with surprise-the little witch certainly knew her enchantments. He recovered quickly and grinned at her.

"I could." He ambled past her and into the small bedroom.

"You could at least make a fire out here for me!" Hermione called after him. He pretended to consider it for a moment.

"Yes, I could...but I won't. Nighty-night." He lay down on the bed, wand tucked safely at his side, and was asleep almost instantly.

OoooOO

Hermione fumed. She could not believe any of this was happening. She listened from the entrance to the bedroom and waited for the man's breathing to become deep and even. She crept to the front door of the cabin, but found her way blocked. She next tried each window, but the man had cast his enchantments well. _Think, Hermione, think_. She told herself urgently. She needed a plan.

She looked toward the bedroom again and noticed her wand laying next to the man. The moon shining in through the dusty window provided just enough light for her to move stealthily across the floor and into the room. _I must be crazy._ She thought as she looked down on the sleeping man. _But this is my only chance. _Taking a deep breath, Hermione reached her hand toward her wand.

The next thing she knew, she was on her back, hands pinned above her head. She looked at the man above her, his eyes dark and hair wild.

OoooOO

Even though he was asleep, years of hard living had made his reflexes sharp and quick. He sensed someone moving toward him, and then he became fully awake. Scabior reacted without thinking, his only goal to disarm and incapacitate the attacker. When he looked down and saw Hermione trapped beneath him, her eyes filled with fear, he forced himself to calm down. He relaxed his strong grip on her wrists slightly. In that instant, Hermione pulled her hands free. Her left fist attempted to make contact with his face while she screamed "Accio wand!" Scabior felt around for it, but the wand made no attempt to leave his side. Hermione looked at her empty right hand and her eyes filled with tears.

"My wand." she whispered. "My wand..." Scabior felt a rush of sympathy, remembering how it had felt to see his own wand in Ron Weasley's hands. It had been like a part of him was missing, an important aspect of his very self that he would never get back or replace. He still felt its absence, although the loyalty that Hermione's wand was showing him made that feeling of loss subside a little. Scabior let her go and ran the fingers of his left hand through his hair. He moved off of her and sat down beside her.

"Listen love, I don't know what you thought you were doing. Don't you know its not safe to sneak up on someone like that? I could've...well never mind. Look, I really need to get some sleep and so do you." He wasn't even sure she could hear him, she was staring straight ahead with tears running freely down her cheeks. "I'm sorry about this, but I don't need any more trouble tonight." Hermione turned toward him as he cast the spell that immobilized her arms and legs. He moved her next to him, and then lay down as well. "I'm not going to hurt you, love. Just want to get some rest. I need to recover..." Scabior closed his eyes and even though he felt his exhausted and pained body spiraling downward toward peaceful oblivion, he could not completely block out the soft sounds of Hermione's sobs.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: The Instinct of Survival_

Hermione opened her eyes. She must have finally fallen asleep at some point, after she had gotten over her fear that the man next to her would hurt her. He had said he wouldn't, but...well...he was an escaped criminal who had done time in Azkaban. She had never felt so utterly defeated, so helpless in her life. She still could not comprehend how her wand had so freely given its loyalty to this man, this stranger who had so effectively disarmed her.

She turned her head (the only part of her that wasn't immobilized by the spell) and looked into his dark eyes. He was laying on his side next to her, head propped on his hand. She thought she saw sympathy on his face, a gentleness there. When he saw that she was awake, he quickly rearranged his features into the now familiar coldness. Hermione wondered if she had imagined the compassion, or if wishful thinking on her part had projected that illusion on to his face.

"'Morning, love." The man spoke. No, she wasn't imagining it—his voice had a softer quality to it.

_Good_, she thought. _If he doesn't see me as a threat it will be that much easier to escape. _

"Do you mind?" she snapped. "I need to get up and..." Hermione felt the heat rising to her cheeks. "I need to use the bathroom." The man seemed to enjoy her contemptuous attitude, as a cocky grin crossed his face.

"Yeah, guess I can help you out there." He flicked her wand, and Hermione felt the spell lift. She swung herself off the bed and retreated to the small bathroom. He must have performed some degree of magic in this room because while the rest of the cabin looked as though it hadn't been touched in years, the lavatory was sparkling clean. She felt a rush of gratitude before it was replaced with the logical thought that if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be in this situation at all.

When Hermione emerged from the bathroom (after unsuccessfully trying to open the window), the man was sitting on a small couch in the main part of the cabin. He glanced at her and patted the cushion beside him, causing a small cloud of dust to raise in the air. He quickly muttered a spell, and the couch was instantly dust free and clean.

"You're quite practiced with those cleaning spells." Hermione blurted out. He laughed, and she noticed in spite of herself that he had a deep, kind, (and sort of sexy) laugh.

"I've stayed in too many places like this. Despite what you probably think, I do like some degree of cleanliness in my living space. Please sit down, we need to talk." Hermione moved toward the couch, and seated herself as far away from him as she could.

"Are you going to tell me where we are?" She asked him. He looked at her for a moment before answering.

"We are in the house I lived in as a boy. The ocean is not far from here, just a small walk through the woods. I spent many happy hours there, playing in the dunes. That was before..." He stopped there, a haunted look on his face. Almost against her will, Hermione was intrigued.

"Before...?" she inquired. He did not address her question, instead using the wand to light a fire in the grate. Hermione waited for a moment, and then thought of another question.

"How many people lived here? There's only the one small bedroom!" He smiled wryly.

"Now you know why most of my time was spent down on the beach. It really was the best playground." He quickly changed the subject by adding, "There is the issue of food. Speaking for myself, I have not eaten very much in the past three days. I'm headed down to the beach to find some fish for us. Do you need anything while I'm gone?"

"My freedom would be nice." Hermione responded. He smiled again, and she felt a strange unfamiliar warmth spread through her, cushioning the fear.

"You have a sharp tongue, love." He got up and moved toward the door. As he was leaving, he turned toward her again. "I like that." With a roguish wink, he was gone.

As soon as the man had disappeared, Hermione sprang up from the couch. She ran to the door, but the enchantment still held strong. She tried each window again, but met with the same result. In frustration, she banged her fists against the window, but he had been thorough. An anti-breaking jinx had been applied to each pane of glass.

"I've got to get out of here!" She cried. "Okay...think. What do I know about protective wards and enchantments? There has got to a way..."

OoooOO

Scabior checked to make sure that his disillusionment charm was strong enough. He would not make that mistake again, although his faulty charm could be attributed to his prior weakened state. He breathed in the fresh scent of the ocean, and closed his eyes. Listening to the pounding surf brought him back to happier times, and for a moment it seemed as though the preceding years might not have happened at all.

But they had...they had. He thought quickly of the events that had brought him here, and of the feisty little witch trapped in the cabin. She did have a point, he thought to himself. There really was no reason to keep her here. She would not be able to find this place, or lead anyone else here. His excuse that he needed a hostage sounded flimsy even to him. So why then, he mused. Maybe he had been so starved for human company, specifically for the presence of a woman who had not been corrupted by the Dark Side. He sighed to himself. There really was the slim chance that the Aurors would catch up to him eventually, and he had to be ready when they did. As long as he had Hermione, they would not harm him and he could possibly buy himself enough time to get away and avoid Azkaban. It was a matter of survival.

Scabior quickly summoned a couple of fish and placed them into his waiting bag. With one last look at the waves crashing into the shore, he Disapparated back to the cabin. He quickly located the ripple of magic that was the edge of the protective ward. With a wave of his wand, he removed the ward for a moment so that he could step back inside of its shelter. There was a momentary disturbance in the air, and just as he was about to jump inside, something came hurtling out at him.

Scabior immediately thought of the Aurors and raised his wand defensively, trying to assess the danger. Hermione used this moment of distraction to push past him and run toward the forest. He shouted after her and cast a few spells, which she deftly avoided. He gave chase as she disappeared into the trees.

Knowing that there was not another human for miles, he cast the _Huminio Revealo_ spell in every direction, and was finally rewarded with a presence to his left. He veered in that direction, searching the brush. She would not be able to get far. It was winter and she had no wand, food, or warm clothing. He would find her, it was what he did after all.

A/N Please review! I hope you are enjoying this story. I apologize for the double chapter at the beginning, I'm still learning how to upload chapters! :)


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: No Where To Hide _

Hermione raced on blindly, her only thought to get far away and quickly. Every action that she could think of, every defensive move required the use of a wand. She ducked behind a large tree and listened closely. She couldn't hear anything, but that made her all the more nervous. She tried to calm herself down and think how her pursuer would be thinking. _He can't see me, so the only spell he can use to find me is Homenum Revelio. And that spell doesn't work in water! _She had her answer. The man had mentioned that the ocean was close by, all she had to do was get to it without him seeing her. She could hide in the water, and when his spell wouldn't locate her, he would think she had gone into the forest. Hermione looked up, trying to see the break in the trees that would let her know which direction the water was. At that moment, she heard a twig break, and sensed that he was close by. Heart pounding with fear, she left the tree and ran in the direction of the water.

Yes, now there were definitely footsteps behind her. Coming fast. Hermione turned her head to look, knowing that if she was in his sights she would not have a chance.

She tripped, and suddenly was falling downward, downward. The gully had come out of nowhere, and she was rapidly falling. Her leg hit a rock or a downed tree limb, and she heard a crack before the naseating wave of pain struck her. Moments later, everything changed and she realized she was underwater. She knew that the gully must have lead to a river or stream of sorts, but there was no time to process that thought. Hermione fought her way to the surface, the water's icy chill stealing her breath. The river was moving, and she felt herself being pulled along with it. Terrified, she tried to grab on to something, anything, as her shoulder slammed hard into a rock. A tree branch was leaning low over the water, and her grasping fingers managed to catch hold. Using all of her strength, she pulled herself slowly, painfully out of the water. Gasping for air and sobbing, she collapsed on the riverbank. Her shoulder was throbbing painfully, and her leg was bent at a strange angle. She tried to move it and let out an involuntary scream of pain.

Oh Merlin, if he found her now...Hermione couldn't bear to think of what he would do. She had to get out of here, get help. The cold air was getting to her, making her shiver uncontrollably. She had never been so miserable in her entire life.

OoooOO

Scabior raced through the woods, searching left and right. He couldn't understand how she had just disappeared. He cast the locator spell repeatedly, but it revealed nothing. Just him, alone in the quiet and cold forest.

He had not spent all that time with the gang of snatchers without picking up a few tricks. He knew that if waited until nightfall, she was bound to come out of hiding, and then he would find her. He could not help but feel a pang of worry—it was cold and she had not been dressed properly. He wondered idly if he should call out to her, but dismissed that thought almost immediately. That would only accomplish revealing his whereabouts. He knew that it was best to just be patient, but that had never been one of his better skills.

OoooOO

The shivering had long since stopped, and Hermione's leg was not bothering her so much anymore. In fact, she felt almost comfortable. Drowsy even. Deep in her mind, she thought something was screaming at her, telling her to move, just get up and move. With a sense of detachment, she decided that she would try to move off of the riverbank, but first she would rest. Just for a few minutes.

Her eyes closed, and she sighed as she slipped into the warmth.

OoooOO

Scabior felt a growing sense of frustration and something close to panic. Where was she? It was not quite dark, the evening had settled into those twilight moments in between the velvet blackness and light. He considered his options—he could go back to the cabin and set up his protective enchantments, but then she would not be able to find her way back. He had done some terrible things, but leaving a woman in the woods on a cold winter night would not be one of them. His mind made up, he cast the locator spell once more. This time, the revealing shadow seemed to settle far below him, near the river. _She couldn't have gone down there!_ He thought, but made his way down the steep embankment. He could feel the spell gathering strength, and knew he was headed in the right direction. What he saw on the opposite side of the river made him gasp. Hermione was laying on the bank, motionless. Instantly, he Disapparted across the river to her.

"Hermione!" He shook her shoulder, but there was no response. He touched her face, and found it to be cold under his fingertips. Feeling a familiar fear rising within him, he searched the side of her neck for a pulse. It was there, but very weak. Without a further thought, he scooped her up in his arms and concentrated hard on the cabin. Within seconds, they had arrived just outside of the protective wards. He stepped over the discarded fish he had caught earlier, waved the wand, and moved inside. After replacing the protection, he brought Hermione into the cabin and placed her on the couch. Her clothes were soaked through and her leg didn't look right. Scabior felt a sense of anger at himself as he realized he could not attempt to heal her leg—all of his training had focused on the art of causing injuries, not healing them.

He lit a roaring fire in the grate with a flick of his wand. He had to get her warm. Slowly, with a gentleness that was unfamiliar to him, he began removing her wet clothing. She murmured slightly, but otherwise remained unresponsive. When she was completely free of her clothes, he summoned the quilt from the bed and wrapped it around her. Then he lay down beside her, being careful not to disturb her leg, and held her close against his chest.

OoooOO

The warmth she had found on the riverbank had long since abandoned her. Hermione felt alone, dark, cold, and frightened. _Oh Harry, I'm so sorry._ She thought with sadness, knowing instinctively that she was leaving, floating away and Harry, her closest friend, would be devastated. _Ron, there was still so much more I had to say to you, I wanted to see you realize that we are so much happier being friends._ Then she knew it was time to surrender, time to let go.

Suddenly, the warmth was back. It was there, and it was comforting. Hermione clung to it, feeling as though she were underwater again and the warmth was her air. Fighting her way into it, she became aware of her body again. Her leg hurt terribly and her shoulder was sore, but there was something else. Something to nestle against, a warmth she had never known before. She knew instinctively that he was with her and he was the warmth that had led her out of the darkness. She tried to be closer, but the movement jarred her leg and she moaned in pain. She felt the man shift as he put his hands gently on her face.

"Hermione." He whispered. "I'm so sorry Hermione. Please wake up, please look at me." She opened her eyes, and felt a rush of fear at how close he was. But there was a more pressing problem.

"My leg." She murmured. "I think its broken. Please..."

"I can't, love." He said in a ragged voice. "I'm no good at healing spells, I'm afraid I'll hurt you even more." Hermione clutched his chest as a wave of pain threatened to overtake her.

"I can fix it. Please...it hurts so bad. Give me my wand."

A/N Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews! So sorry to end with a "cliff hanger" but its almost midnight and my mind is getting foggy! I promise to update tomorrow. :) :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

Authors Note: Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews! I know that I said I would update sooner than this, but things were pretty busy with the holiday...:) Here are two chapters, enjoy!

_Chapter 6: Revealed_

Scabior looked at the wand in his hand, but the decision had already been made. There was no getting around the fact that it was his fault that she was injured. He started to give her the wand, and then stopped.

"I have a favor to ask of you, love. If you had any thoughts of playing the hero and bringing me back to the ministry, I ask you to kill me first." He held up his hands as Hermione's eyes widened. "I would rather be dead than back in Azkaban."

"You saved my life." Hermione answered softly, grimacing in pain. "You're not what I thought...there's something else there...please." Scabior handed her the wand without another word. Hermione accepted it gratefully and pointed it at her injured leg. She spoke the spell softly, but nothing happened. Her leg felt a trifle better for a quick moment, and then lapsed back into its pained state. "I don't understand..." she murmured. "It won't work properly for me." Scabior gave her a half smile, apologetic.

"I think it's given its loyalty to me." Hermione remembered a conversation with the wand maker, Ollivander, long ago in a cottage by the sea. _The wand chooses the wizard..._Scabior put his hand over her own, and together they spoke the healing spell. She felt a warmth, and the rush of their combined magic spreading through her. The pain stopped instantly, and she knew her leg was healed.

"I don't even know your name!" She smiled up at him. "And yet you know who I am..?" Scabior laughed.

"I heard your boyfriend call out your name back in the Ministry. And I'm Scabior. Colin Scabior." Hermione frowned.

"Scabior...? You were there...yes...you were part of the group that brought us to Malfoy Manor! You were ready to hand us to Voldemort! You watched me being tortured!" She was on her feet now, facing him angrily. Colin held up his hands.

"I was trying to protect you from Greyback. If you only knew what he was capable of...and what he wanted to do when we found you in that tent...I was trying to buy some time by going to Malfoy Manor. I was trying desperately to think of a plan...find some way to save you all. But then Bellatrix disarmed me, and I don't know what happened next. When I woke up again, I was on the front lawn of the Manor. The Malfoy boy removed the curse she had put on me, and told me to leave, quickly, and never come back." He looked at Hermione imploringly. "As soon as Greyback found me again, I was sick with worry. Fortunately, he just thought I was angry at our prey escaping us, and let me know what had happened. I was relieved that you had all made it out of there alive. Believe me Hermione...if I had been awake and armed, I would have died before I let her touch you." His eyes were fierce as he looked at her. Against her better judgment, Hermione believed him. But there were still unanswered questions...

"Why were you in Azkaban? Why did you get involved with Greyback in the first place?" He looked down, and the familiar haunted, closed look came across his features.

"I...I can't speak of it. I have removed those memories, but they still stalk me. Even with the memories out of here (he touched his head), they leave an echo of the emotions with them." Colin got up and walked to cabinet across the room. Hermione watched in amazement as he took a large bowl out of the cabinet. There was a swirling mass inside of it, and ancient runes decorated its outside. "Do you know what this is?"

"A pensieve." Hermione whispered. "You carry a pensieve with you?"

"Yes...these memories tortured me for too many years. They are safe in here, because I will not allow myself to destroy them entirely. That is my penance." He took a deep breath. "I want you to know, want to tell you." He started to put the wand into the bowl, and Hermione knew what he was going to do. She got up and put a hand on his arm.

"No...don't. I can see them for myself..." Colin shook his head.

"Hermione, you don't know how horrible..." She smiled wryly.

"Colin, I was on the run with Harry Potter for almost a year. I saw many terrible things during that time. I'm a Gryffindor...we are known for our bravery. It will be easier for me to see the memories than for you to put them back." He studied her for a moment, and then handed her the wand. She took it, feeling the same sense of loss at the diminished power that emanated from it. She gave Colin a nod, boldly stuck the wand into the bowl, and leaned forward.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: The Snatcher's Tale_

Hermione felt as though she was falling. Falling and spinning at the same time. She knew a moment of panic, and wondered if this was some trick, if she had made a mistake in giving Colin her trust. Just then, she felt her feet touch solid ground lightly, and she gathered her wits and looked around.

She was in a small house. It looked cozy, but slightly impoverished. Hermione was startled as a pretty young woman entered the room she was in.

"I'm sorry..." Hermione started to say, but the woman did not look at her or acknowledge her presence in any way. Hermione waved a hand in front of the woman's face, but her gaze went right through her. Knowing that she was only an observer in Colin's memory, Hermione backed up against the far wall and waited with trepidation for the scene to unfold. Colin looked up from where he was sitting, a weary smile on his face. Hermione had not seen him until just that moment, he had been so still. She noticed that he looked much younger, his face unlined and without the familiar hardness.

"Anabel." He spoke her name with such reverence, such adoration, that Hermione felt a twinge of jealousy and embarrassment.

"Colin...oh Colin...there is someone at the door who wishes to speak to you. I think it is a Ministry official!" The woman's eyes betrayed her anxiety and she wrung her hands. Colin stood up quickly and went to her, wrapping her in a tender embrace.

"Don't worry about it, love. I told you that I took care of it, I told them that I wanted no part of their plan." His voice was reassuring, but when he turned away from Anabel and looked toward the direction she had come from, there was a hint of worry on his face. He squeezed her shoulders and kissed the tip of her nose. He next took her hand, and led her out of the room. Hermione waited for a moment, and then followed. She arrived in time to see Colin opening the door. The person waiting behind it did not wait for an invitation, but stepped quickly into the room.

"Have you reconsidered our generous offer, Scabior?" The man spoke, and Hermione recognized his voice. She crept closer, and saw with a start that it was a younger, much more confident Bartemous Crouch Sr that stood there.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Hermione wondered out loud. Crouch looked very much out of place in the shabby room, dressed in an expensive suit and fine Ministry robes. Anabel moaned and shook her head frantically. Colin put a reassuring hand on her arm, and faced Crouch. There was ice in his voice as he answered.

"I gave you my answer, Mr. Crouch. Please leave my home, you have no further business here."

Crouch smiled nastily. "As I explained to you, Scabior, I need someone with your...ah...talents. You will blend in perfectly with Greyback and his gang of followers. I need you to become one of them, to be accepted into the fold. You will gather as much information as you can, and report back to me regularly. We must do all that we can to stop the rise of He Who Must Not Be Named, I need people on the inside!" Colin shook his head angrily.

"And I suppose all I would have to do is be a casual observer? What of the innocent people that become Greyback's victims? Am I to stand by and do nothing? Would you have me assist him?"

Crouch waved his hand dismissively. "Collateral damage. It cannot be helped, and I have every confidence that you will play your part well, Scabior." Anabel stepped forward, fire in her eyes, hand on her wand.

"He will not be used in that manner! Colin is a good man, a man with morals! This is not something he can do! It would require an evil soul that he does not possess! We want no part of this plan! Please...leave us be." For the first time, Crouch looked fully at Anabel, and his clever eyes summed her up appraisingly.

"I do not believe I have had the pleasure. Madame Scabior, I presume?"

"Who I am is of no importance. We have nothing the Ministry wants. I am sorry, Mr. Crouch, that we cannot be of assistance to you." Anabel's words rang with finality. Hermione realized that her hands were clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms. She had known that Crouch was not a good man, after all he had sent an innocent man to prison, broken his son out of the same prison, and unintentionally helped the Dark Side immensely. But this, this horrific plan she had just heard, was beyond anything that she would have thought even Crouch capable of. Hermione suddenly felt very afraid for Colin and Anabel, a fear that intensified as she saw the tight smile cross Crouch's face. He looked at Anabel for one more lingering moment, and then addressed Colin again.

"Very well, Scabior. I can see that you have made up your mind. It is unfortunate that you will not be accompanying me tonight, but I daresay we shall meet again very soon." He bowed in Anabel's direction, his eyes never leaving Colin. Hermione watched as he turned and swept from the room. Colin raised his wand, and the door slammed shut behind Crouch with a satisfying bang. Anabel put her head in her hands and began weeping. Colin went to her, gathered her in his arms and held her, whispering "Shhh...shhhh...he's gone now..." against her hair.

The scene suddenly shifted without warning, and Hermione was unsettled by the change. She found herself back in the house, in a bedroom. The night was dark, and it took her eyes a moment to adjust. Anabel was sleeping on the bed. Colin was laying beside her, but his eyes were open. Hermione crept closer, and noticed that they were fearful. She felt his fear, and even though she knew that she was safe within his memory, she reached for her wand. She waited with him for what seemed like hours. He jumped at every noise, wand frantically pointing in various corners of the room. Hermione took on his anxiety as her own, and knew that something was coming, something terrible was going to happen...

She screamed as the window shattered, showering Anabel with broken glass. She awoke instantly, and rolled off of the bed, reaching for her wand. Colin leaped to the other side of the bed, wand pointed. The shape of a man crashed through the window, shouting curses as he came. Colin attempted to block the Full Body Bind, but his counter curse was uttered seconds too late. He crashed to the floor, paralyzed. Anabel tried to react, but another figure burst out of the darkness and shouted "Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew out of her hand, toward the waiting man, who deftly caught it. Hermione moved in front of the man, pointed her wand in his face, and screamed "Perfectus Totalus!" The spell had no effect, and Hermione sobbed in frustration. She did not want to be here, did not want to see what was going to happen. She wanted to help, wanted to save them both.

"Well, well." The first man sneered. "That was almost too easy. I thought they said you was smart, Scabior. Don't you know protective wards don't do no bit o' good without making a place Unplottable?"

The second man laughed nervously. "Let's make it quick, huh?" He started to raise his wand in Anabel's direction. Hermione, terrified, glanced at Colin. He was unable to move, but his eyes betrayed his horror. Anabel cowered against the wall, but faced her adversary defiantly.

"Why?" The first man said. "I'd say we've gotta while here, might as well give the lady a proper send off, dontcha think?" He moved forward quickly and took a lock of Anabel's hair in his hands. Hermione covered her face as the screams began. She could not bear to watch, did not want to hear or know what was happening. She thought of Colin, helpless on the floor, forced to listen, unable to stop this...

Not knowing what else to do, Hermione went to him, and laid herself across his chest. She held him close to her, knowing that he could not feel her or take comfort in her presence inside of this monstrous memory.

Finally, the first man spoke, and Hermione knew that he was above them. "If you liked that Scabior, you'll love this. Do it now!" Not able to look, Hermione heard the second man utter the Unforgivable Spell that she knew would end Anabel's life. She saw the flash of green light through her closed eyes, and then the cold, unforgettable sound of Anabel's lifeless body hitting the floor.

Unable to bear not knowing what was going to happen next, Hermione opened her eyes a crack. The first man Disapparated, taking Anabel's body with him. She was surprised to hear the second man speak the counter curse for the Full Body Bind. Colin leaped to his feet, and if Hermione had actually been in the scene, she would have fallen violently to the floor. As it was, she glided downward and then brought herself to a standing position again. Colin faced the man, tears running freely down his face. He gave a howl of pure anguish and rage, and Hermione felt herself crying as well.

"You're supposed to kill me now." The man said nervously. He lowered his wand and closed his eyes. "That's the way its supposed to play out...they said that all of my gambling debts with the Goblins would be taken care of. My family won't have to pay for my mistakes anymore..." Hermione doubted that Colin was even listening. She raised her hands to her mouth as he screamed the Blasting Curse, and the wall behind the man came apart. The man collapsed under the weight of the boards, and Hermione knew that there was no way he could have survived. Still, Colin howled curse after curse at the body, many of them not understandable through his wrenching sobs. Then a new voice said quietly

"Expelliarmus." Colin's wand flew into the air, and into Crouch's waiting hand. "That will be all, Scabior." Colin dove for Crouch, who quickly put a Shield Charm between them. "I did tell you we would meet again soon. Always the hard way, eh Scabior? Some time in Azkaban for this man's murder (Crouch gestured toward the mostly buried body under the pile of rubble) will do you some good. You will join us." He flicked his wand, and Aurors immediately Apparated into what was left of the room. They approached Colin and subdued him quickly with their wands...

The scene changed again...Hermione knew at once that she was inside of Azkaban. Although she knew that the Dementors could not hurt her inside of a memory, she shivered uncontrollably as they glided uncomfortably close. Colin was alone in a cell, kneeling on the floor, clutching his head and screaming...and the scene changed...now Crouch was standing before Colin, whose eyes had developed that sunken, empty look that Hermione had always associated with Sirius.

"How could you? Was she collateral damage to you? How could you arrange her murder and then think I would help you?" Crouch shrugged.

"Crude, yes. But effective nonetheless. I can see that you need some more time here. Don't worry, the Dementors have special orders not to let you slip completely into blessed madness or death. I will be back in a couple of months."

The scene changed...Crouch was standing with Colin again, his back to him. "Can the Ministry count on your support, Scabior?"

When Colin spoke, his voice was cracked and weak. "Never..."

Crouch shrugged. "As you wish. Enjoy the remainder of your long life here." He started to leave.

"No!" Colin howled. "No...I cannot take it...I can't relive her death anymore...I will do what you ask...my life has no meaning anymore..." Hermione, who could see Crouch's face, bristled as the triumphant smile crossed his face. He clasped his hands together in victory, and then turned to face the broken man behind him.

The memory shifted...and Hermione was following Colin through the woods. She felt a rush of fear as Greyback appeared in front of her. They circled a man, who raised his wand to protect himself, but was no match for the werewolf. Colin's eyes were devoid of emotion as he went through the motions of helping Greyback subdue the victim...

Hermione gasped as she realized that she was laying on the couch in the cabin. The memories were over, but the haunted look on Colin's face remained. After what she had just witnessed, Hermione would not have been surprised to find an echo of the anguish in her own tear filled eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Sorry about the long time in between updates...busy time of year! I'll try to do better :) Due to the many reviewers who do NOT like the name "Colin," I have gone back to referring to Scabior by his last name (I thought he looked like a "Colin" in the movie!). This is going to be a "nicer" chapter after the very intense last one...enjoy :)**

**-I do not own any of the characters (sigh)**

_Chapter 8: Comfort_

Hermione stared at Scabior, unable to speak. He saw the look on her face and quickly glanced away.

"I..I'm so sorry." He spoke softly. "I no longer have the memory, but the echos of the emotions it left behind are still with me. I am sorry you had to see that. I should have taken it back into me..."

"No!" Hermione shouted, and her voice cracked. "I never want you to have to see that again. You had to live through it so many times over! Leave it where it is, we can use this to finally clear your name!" Feeling a strong need to comfort him after what she had just witnessed, Hermione went to him. She hesitated for a moment, and then shyly touched his shoulder. He sighed and leaned into her. Feeling braver, she moved her hand over his shoulder, then his back, until she was hugging him. He accepted her embrace and pulled her closer.

"You said something about clearing my name." Scabior murmured into her hair. "What do you mean?" Hermione pulled away slightly and looked up at him.

"Crouch is dead...he died four years ago." She quickly told him the story of how Crouch had been murdered by the son he had broken out of prison. "I suppose the ministry would have kept that quiet. If only news of his death had reached you..."

"Yes." Scabior looked into the distance. "Killed by his own son. How fitting." The bitterness startled Hermione, but she understood why he would feel that way. "So you really think that if I can get ministry officials to see those memories, I would finally be..."

"Free." Hermione finished. She reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face. Almost as if seeking permission, she slowly lowered his head to her own until their lips were touching.

Gently, she kissed him.

Scabior moaned and tightened his hands around her. His mouth pressed more forcefully against her, and Hermione felt his teeth nipping at her lower lip. She instinctively parted her lips slightly, and felt his tongue gently brush them before slipping into her. The kiss lengthened, and their embrace grew tighter.

When she finally broke the kiss, she leaned her head against his chest, feeling his heart beating. He caressed her hair and back.

"You must be hungry." He whispered. Her stomach growled in response, and he laughed.

"Yes, a little." Hermione answered, with a smile of her own.

"Come with me down to the beach." He said, taking her hand. "I don't think those fish I caught earlier are any good now." He quickly removed the protective wards, and then not bothering to replace them, led her out of the cabin.

They arrived on the beach after a short walk through the woods. Hermione closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh sea air, enjoying the feel of the breeze on her face.

"Are you warm enough?" Scabior asked. Without waiting for an answer, he quickly spoke a warming charm.

"Thank you." Hermione smiled. "It's beautiful here."

"It's okay." Scabior said, looking at her. She blushed, and he grinned. Scabior summoned a couple of fish from the water, and after Hermione conjured her signature blue flames, had the fish cooking. "We seem to work well together." He said.

"Yes," she agreed, "for some reason my wand is more powerful when it's combining the magic from both of us."

"Interesting.." He said, drawing out the word. Hermione felt a rush of heat throughout her body that had nothing to do with the fire or warming charm. "I wonder what else would be powerful when combined combined between us."

Unable to stop herself, she moved closer to him. He removed the fish from the fire, conjured up a couple of plates, and placed one beside of her.

"Eat first, love." He laughed. "I'm not going to have you pass out from hunger."

Hermione joined his laughter, but she also felt slightly embarrassed. The logical part of her mind was telling her that it made no sense to feel such an attraction for this Mannheim had kidnapped her, taken her wand, and held her prisoner! It was most likely the trauma of the whole situation combined with viewing that horrible memory, she reasoned. She ate her fish in silence, resolving to have better control of her emotions. Still, she felt the heat rise within her whenever she thought of that kiss they had shared, as well as the feel of her hand in his, how close she was sitting to him...

"I can't get over the fact that it was my fault." Scabior spoke suddenly, staring into the fire. "I should have been more alert when they came. I should have protected her."

"I thought you no longer have the memory..." Hermione started to say.

"I know what happened, even if I can't remember it in detail." He explained. "I still have the memories of how much I loved her, how I failed her."

"You were a victim." Hermione told him. "and you were not the only one that Crouch hurt." An idea formed in her head, and she quickly put it aside for later. She would talk with Harry at the first opportunity and see what he thought. Feeling the overwhelming desire to comfort him again, she ran her hand up his arm and then began kissing his neck. _So much for controlling myself._ She thought wryly. He responded immediately, taking her in his arms and kissing her passionately. He moved against her, and Hermione felt her body being lowered to the sand. He lay over her, kissing her, moving his hands over her arms and sides.

"Comfortable?" He whispered against her neck, and she shivered.

"Yes." She breathed back.

"I love touching you, you feel so good..." He slid his hands under her shirt then he was slowly pulling it over her head. Hermione shrugged out of it, and then tentatively put her own hands on his chest. She felt his strong muscles ripple under her touch, and tugged his shirt off.

His mouth moved to her neck and his hands slid lower. "Is this okay...?" He murmured.

"Yes...please..." Hermione moaned, pressing herself up against him. "I want to be close to you.." Scabior growled and squeezed her tighter. Soon, they were very much closer as all clothing was removed. Hermione closed her eyes and heard the pounding of the surf mixed with the cries of gulls above them. She felt the warmth of the fire and Scabior's body moving above her. She clutched on to him and cried out as she felt him enter her, and soon their moans mingled together. Scabior held on to her hand, intertwining their fingers together. Hermione sensed her wand, which was laying next to them, vibrate slightly, and glow a soft golden color. The magic flowed out of the wand, through both of their bodies, and merged together in a shower of warm sparks as they both came together.

They remained on the beach for many hours afterward, holding each other in the sand before the glowing fire, talking, touching, laughing. At one point Scabior started to apologize for taking Hermione from the ministry against her will, and she silenced him with a kiss. This distracted Scabior, and soon they were making love again into the night.

Eventually Hermione began to feel anxious to work on her idea to clear Scabior's name. The sooner they formed a plan and made their way back to the ministry with the memory, the sooner Scabior would have his life back. It was a life that she hoped would include her in some capacity, but she was reluctant to think that far ahead just yet. They both slowly got dressed and, hand in hand, began to make their way back to the cabin.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Sorry for the long update time, but here you go :)**

Hermione and Scabior made their way back to the cabin, walking slowly and talking. It wasn't until they got back inside that Hermione brought up the subject that had been bothering her.

"Okay, I just have to ask you this...about what happened on the beach earlier, were you with me or Anabel?" She immediately felt her face redden and wished she could take back her words. Scabior looked at her for a moment, and then walked over to the window.

"Hermione...its been a long time since I've felt this way about anyone. Something about you captivated me from the moment I first sensed you next to me, that day in the forest when I could smell your perfume. Yes, I with you. And enjoyed every second of it." He turned back to face her. "But I'll always love Anabel. She is dead because of me, its the only thing I can give her now." Hermione nodded, trying to understand what he was saying but also feeling confused and hurt.

"But Scabior, she isn't dead because of you! She is dead because Crouch..."

"Don't say that name out loud!" Scabior roared, making her jump. He turned back toward the window and ran his hands through his hair, exasperated. Hermione started to go toward him, and then stopped herself.

"Sorry." She spoke softly from where she stood. Scabior nodded once, keeping his back to her.

"I'm not saying the name..." She dared, heart pounding, "but what are we going to do now? You can't go to prison, you're innocent! We'll have to go to the ministry, show them the memories in the Pensieve, and clear your name..." She answered her own question in the same breath.

"Hermione, if it were that easy, don't you think I would have done that? The ministry isn't going to listen to me. I'll be thrown back into that hellhole without getting the chance to say two words. The only thing left for me to do is keep running."

"But you can't do that!" Hermione cried, eyes shining dangerously. "I'll help you, I work there, I'm part of the group that helped defeat Voldemort, they'll listen to me!"

"I don't know." Scabior said, defeat in his voice. "I can't go back there..."

"And why ever not?" A new voice spoke up from the doorway. "It'd be my guess that the dementors will be so happy to see you, might even have a little kiss for you, don'tcha think?" Hermione and Scabior whirled around, and he held her wand outstretched.

"Expelliarmus!" The spell came from the window on the other side of the cabin, and Harry Potter climbed through and caught the wand as it flew into his outstretched hand.

"The wards..." Scabior muttered. "How could I have been so careless..."

"Because you're a stupid Snatcher." Ron explained cheerfully from the doorway. "Nice one, Harry. Hermione, are you okay?" He held his arms out as though he expected Hermione to run into them, thanking him for saving her.

"I'm fine, Ron. You need to sit down, there's some things you need to hear..." Ron dismissed her with a wave of his hand and addressed Harry again.

"He's Confunded her. C'mon, let's get this piece of scum back to the Ministry for sentencing..."

"No!" Hermione screamed. "I'm not Confunded! Ron, you need to listen to me!" He ignored her, muttered a spell, and Scabior fell to the floor, gagged and bound. He raised his wand again to send Apparate Scabior to the Ministry, but Hermione jumped at him and the spell was deflected.

"What the hell...? Okay Hermione, I know you're not yourself, but you're getting in the way of official Ministry business right now..." He directed his wand at her, and she found herself also bound on the floor. She sought Harry's eyes with her own, and pleaded silently. Harry looked extremely uncomfortable for a moment, and then stepped toward Ron.

"Ron, mate, wouldn't hurt to hear what they have to tell us..."

"Why, so we can all have a good laugh?" Ron sneered. "I know we're friends and all, Harry, but I'm in charge of criminal apprehension operations!"

"I'm not saying you're not." Harry spoke soothingly, still moving closer to his best friend. "But Hermione's our friend too, and we owe it to her...Expelliarmus!" Without warning, he disarmed Ron and effortlessly caught his wand. Ron started to protest, but his anger and shock caused him to merely sputter incoherently. Harry flicked his own wand and released Hermione. She stood up, wincing a little from her fall to the floor.

"Thanks, Harry."

"I'm listening, Hermione. I trust that you have a good reason for making me disarm Ron."

"Yes, of course I do! It's Scabior, he's innocent! I can prove it!" Harry looked incredulous, but didn't say anything. Ron, on the other hand, had plenty to contribute.

"Harry, of course she's Confunded! There's no way this git is _innocent_! Everyone in this room knows it! Give me back my wand!" Harry's response was to wave his wand in Ron's direction, and his speech was abruptly cut off. Harry crossed his arms and looked sternly at Hermione.

"You don't have much time." He told her. She nodded, and quickly explained what she had witnessed in the Pensieve.

"I'll need to see those memories." He said when she had finished. Hermione ran to retrieve the Pensieve, and placed it before Harry. She looked apologetically at Scabior on the floor.

"I know you are protective of your last memories of her. But its the only way you can be free." His eyes revealed nothing, so Hermione indicated to Harry to get on with it. He nodded at her, still not convinced, and touched his wand to the swirling contents, while Ron scowled wordlessly in the corner. Hermione watched Harry disappear into Scabior's darkest memory, and she knelt next to him and stroked his hair. Ron's eyes widened as he realized what was going on, and his face turned a bright red. Hermione did not notice this, however, and continued touching Scabior's face and murmuring to him softly.

She turned at the sound of Harry coming back to them. His face was white, he was breathing heavily, and his hand was gripping his wand tightly. He raised his horrified eyes to meet Hermione's, and they shared an exchange of understanding.

"This changes things." Harry spoke to Ron, his voice strained and on the verge of breaking. "You have to see this..." He buried his head in his hands as if trying to shake away the terrible events he had just witnessed.

In that moment, Ron suddenly leaped forward and grabbed his wand out of Harry's other hand. He pointed it at himself and removed the Silencing Spell.

"I need this capture! I won't be humiliated!" He pointed his wand at the swirling Pensieve.  
"Accio Pensieve!" Hermione screamed as the large bowl flew toward him.

"Do something, Harry!"

"Ron, stop!" Harry shouted. "You don't know what you're doing!"

"I'm doing my job!" Ron shouted back, eyes wild with rage. "I set out to capture this Snatcher, I won't have that opportunity taken away from me! Confrigo!" Hermione screamed again and covered Scabior with her own body as pieces of the Pensive flew in every direction around the cabin, shattering the windows. She heard Harry moving fast, and realized that he was beside of them. He used his wand to remove the Body Bind and restraints and then pressed Hermione's wand into Scabior's hand.

"Go...quickly!"

"Hermione..." Scabior spoke softly, reaching out to touch her.

"Go!" She almost shouted.

"We'll meet again..." He waved the wand, and disappeared with a faint crack. Ron cursed, enraged as he bounded toward the place where Scabior had been.

"What happened? How did he get that wand?"

"I ran over to make sure Hermione was okay and he somehow managed to grab it from me." Harry lied smoothly. "He's gone now, we need to get back." He pulled Hermione to her feet, noticing that she was sobbing. "After effects of the Confundus curse." He explained to Ron, who looked justified.

"I knew it! If you had believed me in the first place, Harry, he wouldn't have gotten away!" Harry shrugged.

"You know me, Ron, always have to let people have their say..." Ron only shook his head, gave the shack one more bitter glance, and Apparated them all back to the Ministry.


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione heard the banging on her apartment door, but she didn't move to answer it. She considered placing a Silencing Spell on the door with her new wand, but decided against it when she heard Harry's voice.

"Hermione, please open up! You haven't been to work for a week, we need to talk!" Sighing, she dragged herself to the door and flung it open, glaring at Harry. He took in her bedraggled appearance, and started to say something but quickly changed his mind. "Can I come in?" He asked instead, gesturing the interior of the room. Hermione threw up her hands defiantly and motioned for Harry to enter.

"He's not with you, is he?" She asked fiercely. Harry didn't have to ask to know who she meant.

"No, Ron's still at work, putting in a lot of overtime. I think he's obsessed with catching...well, he's not here, anyway." Harry sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. Hermione hesitated for a moment, and then collapsed beside Harry.

"Harry, what are we going to do? What can we do? I can't stand the thought of him out there, hunted, innocent..."

Harry ran his hands through his dark hair in exasperation. "I'm not sure. I've run through a lot of scenarios, some pretty crazy..."

"So you have a plan!" Hermione sat up, hope glimmering in her eyes for the first time.

Harry laughed without humor. "Well, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a _plan, _but for the moment, its all we have. There's too much evidence stacked against him, and now with Ron's personal vendetta..."

Hermione waved her hand dismissively. "Please just tell me what you're thinking. It was your crazy plan about escaping on a dragon that got us out of Gringotts, remember?"

Harry smiled wryly. "Yeah, I know. Well, there's still some major details to be worked out, but we can start here..." He filled her in on the details, and Hermione's face changed from hopeful to skeptical and then back to hopeful.

"It's worth a shot, Harry! And I don't see that we have another choice, with the Pensieve destroyed. When can we get started?"

"I get out of work at 5 today, we should still have some daylight. Will that give you enough time to get ready?" Hermione's look told him that that was the least of her concerns.

"Of course. I'll meet you back here by 5:15?"

Harry stood up and nodded. "Sounds good. I'll see you then..." He gave her a quick hug and left the apartment. She heard the soft crack of his Disapparation a few moments later and sighed to herself. She wished that she had a way to contact Scabior to let him know what the plan was, but then decided that it was better to say nothing until they knew if it would work or not. She didn't want to get his hopes up, or put him through the certain emotional strain, if the outcome would not be his freedom.

"I'll do whatever I can..." She whispered to the air, and then headed in the direction of the shower.

OoooOOoo

Hermione checked the clock and groaned. It was already close to 5:30, and she had had no word from Harry. When another fifteen minutes went by, she decided to go by herself. She told herself that Harry must have been delayed at work, but she knew that it wasn't like him not to send her a message. She checked the window one last time for an owl, and then with a sense of foreboding, clutched her wand and twisted into nothingness.

Hermione felt her feet hit the ground, and quickly pointed her wand in front of her. The light was fading rapidly, and that only added to the loneliness and fear she felt.

"I don't even know where to start..." She muttered to herself, staring around at the gloomy Forbidden Forest before her. She tried the Accio charm half-heartedly, knowing that it most likely would not work in this case. A few minutes went by and nothing happened, confirming her thoughts. She whipped her head around as a branch cracked behind her, and then breathed in relief when a squirrel ran by and then up a nearby tree. "Okay, Hermione, its not the best plan, and with Harry not here it's pretty much impossible, but its the only one we have. So stop jumping at shadows and get busy...its going to be a long night." She told herself firmly. She lit her wand, and held it low, sweeping it over the ground and under bushes.

Two hours later, Hermione moaned in frustration and exhaustion. There were twigs stuck in her curly hair and her eyes were beginning to hurt from straining to see the small object by her weak wandlight. The nagging thought of what had happened to Harry kept taunting the back of her mind, no matter how hard she tried to push it away. _One more hour._ She told herself. _One more hour, then I'll go find Harry..._

A sudden rustling noise to her left startled her out of her thoughts. She swung her still lit wand in that direction, and felt her heart skip a beat as she could just make out a large shape. Hermione took a step back, thoughts of werewolves and other horrors instantly on the forefront of her mind.

"Who's there? Identify yourself!" She called out, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Hermione? Where are you...its me!" Hermione dropped to her knees in relief as she recognized Harry's voice.

"Harry! I'm right here!" She called, and he moved quickly in the direction of the wandlight.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry..." Harry said as soon as he reached her. "Ron wanted to get a drink after work to discuss the case and his latest theories, I couldn't get away. I didn't want to risk sending you a message with him right there, the last think we need is for him to get suspicious. I had a hunch you might come here and start searching...now that I'm here, maybe it will go a little faster?" He said the last line with a teasing lilt to his voice, and Hermione had to resist the urge to curse him.

"Feel free, Harry." She said through gritted teeth. "Yes, the fact that I've never even seen it would tend to make it a little challenging to find, don't you think?" Taking note that her appearance and tone meant that she was definitely not in the mood for joking, Harry gulped and nodded.

"I don't think that this is the right place, the clearing was bigger, the trees around the outer edges were larger and more spread out..." He lit his own wand and led the way through the forest. "I'm hoping that when I get close, I can somehow call it to me..." Hermione followed wearily, relieved that Harry was all right and was now leading their mission. The next half hour passed in relative silence, save for Harry's mumblings "This might be the way...no...wait...I'm sure it was through here...maybe not this way..."

A strange clicking noise suddenly greeted them as Harry parted a couple of branches. Hermione didn't recognize it, but felt Harry freeze in front of her. "Harry...?" She started to ask, but he jumped back and pulled/dragged her with him.

"Hermione...shhhhh...oh no, how could I forget..." The clicking noise was joined by more, until a chorus seemed to surround them. Hermione looked fearfully from side to side, but couldn't make out anything in the lurking shadows. Just when she was about to ask Harry what the clicking noises were, one of the shadows suddenly moved forward and took on a more definite shape, answering her unspoken question.

Hermione gasped as a creature she had only seen in _The Monster Book of Monsters_ emerged before her, clicking its enormous pincers menacingly. "Harry!" She managed to squeak out. "Let's apparate, now!" Harry tore his eyes off of the creature.

"I know this is the right place...Accio Resurrection Stone!" Hermione started to tell him that the Accio spell wouldn't work on it, but a dark, cracked stone suddenly zoomed out from under some growth and into Harry's hand. He grasped it tightly, took Hermione's hand, and Apparated them both away from the forest just as the pincers closed on the space they had occupied a moment before.


End file.
